In recent years, worldwide demand for wireless cellular communications has increased dramatically. Mobile terminals manufactured to meet this burgeoning demand must adhere to standards such as the Global System for Mobile Communications (GSM) standard. The Digital Cellular System (DCS) standard is based on GSM, but is directed towards higher cell density and lower power. A third standard, Personal Communications Services (PCS), is a “catch all” for many digital cellular systems, including GSM, operating in North America. These standards all require precise output power control over a large dynamic range in order to prevent a transmitter located in one cell from interfering with the reception of transmissions from other transmitters in neighboring cells.
Accordingly, a key component common to all mobile terminals is a radio frequency (RF) power amplifier. In operation, power amplifiers receive as input a frequency or phase modulated radio frequency carrier and amplify the radio frequency carrier to a level sufficient for reception by a cellular base station. However, due to its inherent nature, the power amplifier requires a significant amount of power and is a primary factor in determining the battery-life of the mobile terminal. The power consumption of the power amplifier and thus the mobile terminal is dependent upon a Power Added Efficiency (PAE) of the power amplifier. Since one of the primary goals in designing mobile terminals is to reduce power consumption in order to increase battery-life, there remains a need for a power amplifier having increased PAE, which leads to increased battery-life for the mobile terminal.